1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module or a capillary membrane module in which the hollow fibers or capillaries made of a ceramic or a material with a ceramic content are introduced into a mold structured for receiving the hollow fibers or capillaries and are potted in the mold with a potting compound. In addition, the present invention relates to a device having a hollow fiber membrane module or a capillary membrane module produced according to the present method.
In the present invention, hollow fibers refers to pipe-shaped bodies with an external diameter in the range from approximately >10 μm to 0.5 mm, capillaries refers to bodies with an external diameter between 0.5 and 3 mm.
The present method and device are primarily employed in filtration and separation technology. In these technologies, among other things, inorganic membranes in the form of modules are utilized as separation tools for the filtration of liquids as well as the separation of gases. The hollow fiber membrane module or capillary membrane module produced with the present method can be utilized for separation of, respectively purification of, gases and vapors, in particular in high-temperature applications, as well as for the filtration of liquids in micro-filtration, ultra-filtration and nano-filtration and as a membrane reactor.
2. Prior Art
EP 0 941 759 A1 discloses a method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module in which the sintered hollow fibers are introduced into a mold and are potted in this mold with a potting compound. A ceramic-containing compound is used as the potting compound, which is then hardened respectively solidified in a suited thermal step. The mold for receiving the hollow fibers is designed as a perforated plate, which then is fitted with the fibers potted inside it into a housing.
Production of a hollow fiber membrane module according to the method of this printed publication is, however, difficult as the sintered hollow fibers have a great propensity to break as is characteristic of ceramics. It is not easy to handle such type sintered hollow fibers so that insertion into the openings of the mold designed as a perforated plate is difficult and can lead to the hollow fibers breaking.
EP 0 938 921 A1 discloses another method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module. In this method, a bundle of sintered hollow fibers is placed in a cylindrical mold and is potted in this mold while the potting compound is impinged with ultrasound.
However, in this method too the hollow fibers can break very easily.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a hollow fiber membrane module or a capillary membrane module as well as a device having such a module, which is easy to produce and with less risk of the hollow fibers or capillaries breaking.